La Cage aux folles

The Cage of Fools benefits from a strong cast and, of course, a very famous theatrical source, but I feel that it is a film that has become somewhat dated, and its weakness lies in a certain parasitizing on the subject of homosexuality and transvestism, where the actors overact, distort themselves, and prattle exactly according to the most foolish societal prejudices. It is more tolerable in the theater, but the film screen requires slightly more restrained acting. My rating is, of course, influenced by my knowledge of the theatrical source; I saw this play in Karlín and liked it better on the stage. Overall impression: 65%. (12/02/2008)

Watching the successful American remake, The Birdcage, I had a lot more fun. Probably because I watched it before La Cage aux Folles, so I didn't know what I was getting into, and also Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman absolutely thrilled me with the approaches to their roles. This is not to throw dirt on the performances of Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault and Michel Galabru. All three tried their best and played very well. (65%) (22/12/2022)